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Introducing Dr. Robert Agnew - Thoughts For December 2011
Dr. Robert Agnew (shown above sitting atop an ancient Mayan observatory in Mexico) is a Professor of Music and Humanities at Edison State College in Piqua, Ohio. Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Robert has a Masters Degree from Bowling Green State University and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University.
At this point in time we are sorry to say that Dr. Agnew is unable to continue his Astronomy Talk articles due to other commitments. The good news is that Dr. Agnew will be coming back so please keep a lookout for when he starts writing for us once again. In the mean time we will leave the last article he wrote on this page for any of you who might have missed it.
The word crater was initially used by the inventor of the first practical astronomical telescope, Galileo Galilei (1564 - 1642)
Michel Floret van Langren, in a lunar map drawn up in the year 1645, gave names to features on the moon. In 1647, a masterful map of the moon by Hevelius of Gdansk, assigned names to lunar mountain ranges that are still used. The standard was set by Giovanni Baptista Riccioli in 1651. A professor in Bologna, Italy, Riccioli decided to use three categories for naming the so called “seas”, as well as mountain ranges and craters of the moon: symbolic names, terrestrial names, and people’s names.
Since there are approximately 30,000 named craters on the visible side of the moon, there are many notable men and woman who find a kind of immortality by having a crater named after them.
The crater Rabbi Levi was named after Levi ben Gershom, a French-Jewish astronomer working in the early 14th century. A scholar on the complex Talmud, a lengthy expo on Jewish law and ethics, he also dabbled in the world of astronomy, being credited with inventing the Jacob’s staff, an instrument to measure the angular distance between celestial objects, as well as a series of remarkable observations about the cosmos.
Not to be outdone, there are thirty-five craters on the moon named after Jesuits of the Roman Catholic Church. Despite some setbacks, like their condemnation of Galileo, the Roman Catholic Church has been involved with astronomical work for at least six centuries. Among those is the Jesuit Christoph Klau (1537 - 1612), known by his Jesuit name, Clavius. Having written several influential texts on astronomy (he was revered by Galileo), he is most remembered for finalizing the Gregorian calendar. The crater Clavius is very large, with an interesting line of smaller craters crossing its floor.
Moslem astronomers, especially in the Middle Ages, were the earthly authorities of the starry sky. Their work in astronomy laid the groundwork for all modern astronomy. Naturally, there are many craters named after Moslem scientists. Among those is the crater Abulfeda, named after the Syrian prince Ismail Abu’l Fida (1273 - 1331). In addition to being a patron to many scientists of his day, he was a scholar of history, geography, astronomy, and the Qur’an.
Most people would not recognize the vast majority of the thousands of names given to craters on the moon, although a study of them is a journey through history and science. There are exceptions, however. Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955), one of the most beloved and influential scientists the world has ever known, has one of the most recognizable names on Earth. Crater Einstein is very large, but also very difficult to see because it lies on the edge of the visible moon.
This article began with the mention of Galileo Galilei’s contribution to lunar astronomy, so it is only fair to mention the crater named after him. Located on the western limb of the moon on Oceanus Provellarum, the crater Galilei has no direct neighbors. It stands alone, as does this revered scientist.
© Article & image Dr. Robert Agnew 2008/2009/2010/2011
At this point in time we are sorry to say that Dr. Agnew is unable to continue his Astronomy Talk articles due to other commitments. The good news is that Dr. Agnew will be coming back so please keep a lookout for when he starts writing for us once again. In the mean time we will leave the last article he wrote on this page for any of you who might have missed it.
WHO IS ON THE MOON?
The word crater was initially used by the inventor of the first practical astronomical telescope, Galileo Galilei (1564 - 1642)
Michel Floret van Langren, in a lunar map drawn up in the year 1645, gave names to features on the moon. In 1647, a masterful map of the moon by Hevelius of Gdansk, assigned names to lunar mountain ranges that are still used. The standard was set by Giovanni Baptista Riccioli in 1651. A professor in Bologna, Italy, Riccioli decided to use three categories for naming the so called “seas”, as well as mountain ranges and craters of the moon: symbolic names, terrestrial names, and people’s names.
Since there are approximately 30,000 named craters on the visible side of the moon, there are many notable men and woman who find a kind of immortality by having a crater named after them.
The crater Rabbi Levi was named after Levi ben Gershom, a French-Jewish astronomer working in the early 14th century. A scholar on the complex Talmud, a lengthy expo on Jewish law and ethics, he also dabbled in the world of astronomy, being credited with inventing the Jacob’s staff, an instrument to measure the angular distance between celestial objects, as well as a series of remarkable observations about the cosmos.
Not to be outdone, there are thirty-five craters on the moon named after Jesuits of the Roman Catholic Church. Despite some setbacks, like their condemnation of Galileo, the Roman Catholic Church has been involved with astronomical work for at least six centuries. Among those is the Jesuit Christoph Klau (1537 - 1612), known by his Jesuit name, Clavius. Having written several influential texts on astronomy (he was revered by Galileo), he is most remembered for finalizing the Gregorian calendar. The crater Clavius is very large, with an interesting line of smaller craters crossing its floor.
Moslem astronomers, especially in the Middle Ages, were the earthly authorities of the starry sky. Their work in astronomy laid the groundwork for all modern astronomy. Naturally, there are many craters named after Moslem scientists. Among those is the crater Abulfeda, named after the Syrian prince Ismail Abu’l Fida (1273 - 1331). In addition to being a patron to many scientists of his day, he was a scholar of history, geography, astronomy, and the Qur’an.
Most people would not recognize the vast majority of the thousands of names given to craters on the moon, although a study of them is a journey through history and science. There are exceptions, however. Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955), one of the most beloved and influential scientists the world has ever known, has one of the most recognizable names on Earth. Crater Einstein is very large, but also very difficult to see because it lies on the edge of the visible moon.
This article began with the mention of Galileo Galilei’s contribution to lunar astronomy, so it is only fair to mention the crater named after him. Located on the western limb of the moon on Oceanus Provellarum, the crater Galilei has no direct neighbors. It stands alone, as does this revered scientist.
© Article & image Dr. Robert Agnew 2008/2009/2010/2011
- Ancient Rocks
- Contemplation, Patience, and the Night Sky
- Ghosts of the Night
- Globular Clusters: Awesome Wonders of the Night Sky
- Hidden Mysteries of the Moon
- Music and the Stars
- Neighbors
- Of Magnets and the Sun
- Seeing Double - In Living Color
- The Joy of Night Sky Journaling
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star: Italian Style
- If the Ice Could Talk
- Both Eyes Open
- Orion
